You’ve sat at the back of the room and struggled to make out what the person up front is saying. Aware of how aggravating that is, you try and do things differently the next time it’s your turn to speak—to “project” and “speak up.” You think the extra volume helps your voice carry and makes you sound authoritative.

But just ask anybody seated in the front row—or even the tenth—and once their eardrums are done ringing, they’ll probably tell you they felt shouted at, that it was no less annoying than listening to someone who’s hard to make out. Maybe they even missed your message completely as a result.

The truth is that projecting power as a speaker doesn’t mean getting louder. Here are a few tips for speaking more powerfully without having to raise your voice.

Please click here to read the complete article from Fast Company.